Every cigar smoker has there favorite equipment that they love to use and I do too! I have always wanted to share my list of favorite equipment that I have wanted to share with everyone for quite sometime. Talking about me I experiment a lot but what I use on a daily basis has been consistent since I ever got it. I love my personal equipment and have been using them for quite sometime.

Though it is important to keep in mind that I do keep trying new cutters and lighter all the time my favorite has always remained these for the reasons I will explain below.

So what do I look for in cigar cutters and lighters?

Basically I want convenience. The thing is I am a lazy guy and anything with a complicated process of using and maintenance is a big no no for me. I have to use something that is easy to use and maintain for a long time without any hassle. So things like high priced equipment even though I have tried them multiple times and like them I have never used them for a long time.

Another important aspect to my purchases are price, I replace a lot and that is mainly because I either end up losing them or breaking them or they stop working. As I said above I don’t like to maintain things so overtime and by that I mean a year or two and not a month things stop working so I want to replace them and continue on with my life.

The problem is if I buy expensive stuff which you have to maintain that stuff breaks very easily so now I have to replace it within months of buying them and I am not Donald Trump rich to just keep replacing stuff.

With that in mind let’s look into my favorite equipment.

My Favorite Cigar Cutter And Cigar Lighter

Let’s start with my favorite cutter.

Xikar teardrop cutter is my favorite cigar cutter that I have been using for years and probably will keep using them for a long time to come. The reason is simple Xikar is a respectable brand and there warranty is just out of the world. Things just work and they work for a long time.

My favorite from there collection is Xikar graphite which has a sort of graphite finish which makes it amazing to hold and cut with. Blows my mind how awesome it feels in hand, it is also sturdy so no cheap material used and the cutter just works!

Let’s jump into my favorite cigar lighter.

Again it’s going to be a xikar product simply because of there warranty. As I told you above I like changing my gear every couple of years and sometimes the gear breaks down before that. In which xikar’s warranty helps me get an exchange without hassle for minimal cost if not any.

My favorite cigar lighter is Xikar carbon fiber. As you can tell from cutter choice I like rough objects rather then those glossy slippery tiny stuff. Which is why I love xikar carbon fiber that has a chasis design in front and a sturdy with rough exteriors to give it that perfect touch and hold in hand.

These are two pieces of equipment that I have loved and used for a long time and if you are wondering why I haven’t included the humidor then do not worry cause that topic will require an entire post on its own and I will share that very soon.

I know it feels very tedious to go abroad and not have your favorite stogie with you at the time and it is annoying as hell, I understand. While you are storing them back home so is to not have them ruined while travelling internationally or even nationally.

To avoid being out of smokes through your trips these are some of the ways you can enjoy a cigar wherever you go just finding the right shop to buy from.

Ask locals

Asking locals is not the best option but it is a really good one. Locals know ins and outs of a place and they have deeper insights too what is happening where and when and how. If they know of a place that gives out quality products then they can let you know so you can go and buy.

One thing to remember is that you want to ask someone you trust like your hotel staff as they won’t try to cheat you out of it. Some locals in tourist spots have deals setup with shop to bring tourists to them. If that is the case they will take you to a bad shop which might not provide quality products and end up buying something bad.

Cigar Shops App

Nowadays there are a lot of apps available online that you can use for your self easily. Even if not apps you can search cigar shops and you will be presented with plenty of options to buy a quality stogie to enjoy.

These apps are the best option as they provide upto date information with address, number etc. Also others who have visited the shops will usually leave a review and let others know if the experience is good or not. This way you can choose to goto that shop or avoid it.

These are the 2 best ways to find cigars anywhere you go without any issues. Just make sure that where you are cigar smoking is allowed and won’t put you in a jail.

In recent times many smokers have jumped back to an old method of storing cigars known as cooling. In which you basically store them in a fridge or a specific coolidor rather then a humidor.

This method does have some benefits so don’t discourage it without giving it a fair chance. It is also right for people who don’t want to buy an expensive humidor cause in this case you can just use a nice little cooler and it can work fine. Also there are many ways you can read on how to do this cheaply online with hundreds of quality tutorials.

What do you need?

Rather then using a humidor for cigars you will be using a cooler so the first thing you will need is that. The size of it depends on how many are you planning to store? Will they be just for your usage or are you planning to them and lots of them and store them. Depending on the amount of cigars that you want to store you can pick the size of the cooler.

The next thing you will need is a hygrometer which basically measures humidity inside boxes. They are used in humidors but you can also use them in any type of bag, box etc. Anywhere you want to humidity measured in a sealed environment they can be used.

Another thing you will need are humidifier beads which help maintain humidification inside the environment. So if you place them in a humidor they will control the humidity accordingly and in this case we will be using them inside a cooler.

You can buy them for quite cheap online and have it delivered but if you want to buy them in a store check out in hardware section.

Humidification beads should be considered when you are planning to store cigars at a certain humid level. They are used with distilled water and maintain the level quite well while also being pretty cheap and convenient to use.

Now Seasoning

Once you have all of these items it is time to start seasoning your humidor and so that you can store your cigar. It is a good idea to clean the cooler with non chemical objects so that they don’t leave any residue behind.

After cooling place the beads at both ends so it delivers evenly throughout the section. Once they have been placed correctly it is time place your cigar boxes.

That’s it, you are done. Now this might have sounded a bit too easy but it is a bit of a hassle which is why I suggest going for humidors but it is upto you ofcourse. I have also included the videos so make sure to check them out to truly grasp the idea of what we are doing.